The Bearcat linebackers look to lead the defense this year. 

Linebackers Coach Jah’Seari Patterson said he has an intelligent group of players and plans to use that to the team’s advantage.

“We lean into having a high IQ and knowing and knowing exactly what to do, Putting yourself in the right position to make a play,” Patterson said. “Whether you’re fast enough or not fast enough to make a play, the least you could do is be in a position where you may be there for a cutback or stopping the guy from getting through your gap.”

Coach Patterson said the group is a good mix of older and younger guys. According to Patterson, a solid group of seniors is leading the group with a pool of first and second-year players rotating in under them. The coach said the main objective of summer practices has been to get the group on the same wavelength.

“We’ve been focussing on getting our reads down, trying to get everybody on the same page,” Patterson said. “As linebackers, you have to be the leaders of the defense. You have to know, pretty much, what everybody is doing.”

Senior Javon Cox is one of the leaders of the linebacker group. Cox said he and his teammates communicate well and thinks it will help them win during the season. 

“There’s a lot of good communicating going on,” Cox said. “Everyone can line up good.”

Cox has been playing linebacker since middle school. When asked what he enjoys about the position, he said, “I like making hits.”

Patterson hopes Cox and the rest of the guys will improve through the summer. 

“I want to be able to look back to the beginning of the summer and say we all got better,” Patterson said. “Once we’re comfortable on the field together,… the only thing we got to do is bring the effort at that point.”